przed | Entries tagged with cons

Looks like BistoCon 2018 is on.

Dates and details very soon.

Crossposts: https://przed.livejournal.com/364580.html

We've opened up registration for the second edition of BistoCon.

The announcement is up on the con LJ here:
http://bistocon.livejournal.com/6396.html

And you can find the registration page here:
http://bistocon.org/registration.php

Game on!

I got back from MediaWest last night in just enough time to inhale the dinner the Sweetie had prepared and dash off to the pitch for our first soccer game of the year. The games are now 7x7, on a bigger field, and using nearly a full-sized net. I thought the bigger goal might result in higher scores, but the need to run a bigger field seems to have evened that out. And I'm trying to really enforce positions this year--three up, three back at the moment, though I may move two to midfield--because otherwise they're going to kill themselves running up and down the field.

We seem to have a solid team, with a few really good players, a bunch of really solid players, and one who's never played before and is a combination of really enthusiastic and a wee bit clueless. (One of my clueless first time kids last year turned into a killer defense player, so I have hope. *g*) They all seem to be nice kids, and so far the parents seem lovely too. Fingers crossed that all continues.

Ros volunteered for goal in the second half, and then complained that she only got to touch the ball three times. The Sweetie and I pointed out that this meant the defense were doing their jobs.

Oh, and we won! 0 - 2.

As for MediaWest, it was a lovely, though rather more low key time than ever before. The registration is very much down, there were function rooms that barely got used for panels, and the dealer room is a ghost of its former self. Though I did get a fun t-shirt, "Sarcasm is My Super Power", because it totally is, and a Captain America watch, because Cap!

But the main reason for going to the con has always been the people, and many of my favourite people were there. We had Pros panels and a Pros party. I attended a Big Bang Theory panel, that may have convinced me to give the show another shot. Maybe. (Hi, Krisser!) There was a visit to our favourite Mexican restaurant, Los Tres Amigos, followed by a viewing of Mad Max: Fury Road. Which is just as amazing as everyone has been saying.

I've been saying this is my last MW, and barring a miracle I think that's going to hold, but at least I feel like I've gone out on, if not a high note, and really satisfying one.

It's been a good week for concerts.

Tonight, Stewart Copeland was playing at the Royal Conservatory's concert hall. He's started a sorta improvisational classical ensemble along with pianist Jon Kimura Parker, and they were doing a program of both Copeland's own compositions and pieces ranging from Bach to Prokofiev to Aphex Twin. Since I was seeing it by myself, I indulged in a first row seat, and ended up right in front of Stewart's drum kit.

It was a fantastic concert, and made me vow to see more classical concerts at the Conservatory. Their performance space is fab, they always have good people in and it's only ten minutes from my work. I really have no excuse.

On the other end of the spectrum, on Sunday night I went to see Kaiser Chiefs with a friend. As always, Ricky and the gang were fantastic and totally know how to work the crowd. As a bonus, they followed up I Predict a Riot with The Who's Pinball Wizard. The friend I went with is also a huge Who fan (we're seeing The Who's farewell tour this coming fall) so it was the icing on a very tasty cake.

I was happy to make the Kaiser Chiefs show, because on Friday and Saturday I'd been flattened by one of those colds that made every joint in my body ache. Fortunately it had progressed to the point of just being annoying by Sunday.

Tomorrow, I leave for MediaWest for the last time. I've been going since 1994, with a couple of breaks for Ros-related reasons, but with fewer people coming every year it seems like a good time to call it a day.

Back from SHareCon and in the thick of things once again, but I had such a wonderful time. It was all hanging out with old friends and meeting new people, watching vids, watching episodes, watching the slashiest bits of all the episodes, going to panels, going for meals and just generally having a fabulous time.

flamingoslim throws the best cons.

One of the best things, apart from the people, who are all fab, was being reminded just how much I love, love, LOVE Starsky & Hutch. It was one of the first shows that pinged my budding slasher's heart when I was ten. I can still remember watching The Fix for the first time and realizing that there was something going on that was making me feel all tingly all over. And the boys still do that to me.

I'm realistic enough to know I'm just not going to have time for a full write up of the weekend, but here are a few random things that came out of the con:

I have an actual, concrete and do-able idea for a Starsky & Hutch story! \o/

I have promised

dorinda and

msmoat to finally make the I Spy vid I've wanted to do for, oh, years and years.

msmoat informed me that a Canadian company has put out a box of the complete Equalizer. How did I not know this?! I can finally watch Splinters again!

I've had a mashup of "Don't Give Up on Us Baby" and "Discovery Channel" stuck in my head for two days now. I blame Flamingo. And David Soul.

Or more like, SHareCon, I'm here!

Things have generally been such a mad rush lately, that I've not been around, let alone mentioned that I'm coming to SHareCon. (I actually had an attack of the hysterical giggles at work today due to the impossibility of me finishing everything that's getting dumped on me. I already had three major projects that were all due November 3rd, including one implementation of a major system that I spearheaded so it's my head for the chop if it doesn't work. Well, okay, they probably wouldn't have my head, but they would look cross and disappointed. But then this morning I get a call from our Communications team and they want to bump up the due date of the post-production work I've been asked to do on four, count 'em four, webcasts. And yep, they want them ready for November 3rd. It was either laugh hysterically or cry. ::deep calming breaths::) Okay, that was a digression, but anyway, I'm here at the SHareCon hotel.

My flight from Toronto was delayed by thunderstorms, so it was nearly midnight by the time I got to the hotel and I didn't see any Starsky & Hutch types about when I arrived, but tomorrow the con starts and then there will be fannish fun and absolutely no ridiculous deadlines.

Also, is it bad I'm a bit gleeful to be at a con where I'm not the one figuring out how much pizza to order or sorting out if we have enough snacks.

flamingoslim, you have my total respect.

I've been on the go since I got back from Detroit, oh, okay, lovely Romulus, Michigan, on Monday, but I'm still kind of amazed that FJBryan and I managed to somehow pull off

bistocon without any major disasters.

And people seem to have enjoyed themselves!

And we got to hang out with lovely people we knew and meet more lovely people we hadn't met before.

And we talked about Pros all weekend.

And we've agreed to do it all again in two years!

I'm planning on putting up a proper post or two at

bistocon when I have another few minutes, but for now let me just thank everyone who attended and made it such a joy, and everyone who wished us well.

Here's hoping we'll get to see even more Pros friends in 2016!

Another MediaWest has come and gone. I swear they go faster every year.

In spite of my ambivalence about the con this year, I had a fab time. The panels were fun (lots of Pros and a smattering of UNCLE) but the con is really about the people. I share the drive there with my roomie, m. butterfly, and

st_crispins. I get to spend lots of time with my other roomie, FJBryan. It was wonderful to hang out with

silver_cyanne, Kath Moonshine, Glo and Lorraine B., all of whom have now signed up for

bistocon. On the Pros side, there were the lovely

krisserci5, Snow and

sc_fossil who brightened up all the panels and party and events. And it is always a joy to spend time with Flamingo, whom I got to talk with a bit more than usual this year. (I do wish I could go to SHareCon this year, but I don't like to leave the Sweetie and Ros alone for three weekends this year.)

I had intended for this to be my last MW, but I've signed up again for next year. (TT better not have a date on Memorial Day weekend next year. *g*)

On the RL end of things, tonight was our second soccer game. Our team is a really nice bunch of kids, and they're all proving to be pretty good on the field. We managed another win, 3 - 1 this time, and the twins only scored one of those goals. The other two were from kids I wasn't expecting goals from. We only have three kids so far that want to be in goal. Ros, of course, is one of them, as is her best friend. Ros did pretty well in goal, though she did let in our only goal. She's also starting to read the field really well again and get in good defensive position. So it's all good!

Will you look at that. It's not even one in the morning and I'm all packed up for MediaWest. I may actually get a good night's sleep and on the road early.

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone (

st_crispins!

sc_fossil!

silver_cyanne? anyone else?) at the con this year, but my squee is somewhat subdued this year. I don't know if it's just that I've finally had it with the organizational stupidities and downright vindictiveness of the MW con comm, or the fact I will be the sole representative of the current fandom of my heart (Take That, in case you had any doubt), or if I'm beginning to gafiate a bit from fandom, or what.

I doubt I'm ready to pull away from fandom entirely--it's too much a part of my identity--and I'm sure I'll have a ball once I'm in Lansing. And though I'm feeling that this may be my swansong at MW, there's BistoCon to look forward to, and vague plans afoot to attend Escapade next year.

Okay, that's enough introspection for one evening.

I'll see some of you soon at MW, and the rest online!

I keep meaning to post, about MediaWest and other things, but life has kept me constantly on the hop. So this is my attempt to catch up with the state of things.

( MediaWest )

( The talent show and school festival )

( The Book of Mormon )

( A work visit )

( Jackie Chan )

Tomorrow there will be a play that's part of Toronto's Luminato arts festival, The Life and Death of Marina Abramovic. It's directed by Robert Wilson, who is generally amazing, but the chief attraction for me is that it co-stars Willem Dafoe, who I adore past reason. (This will be our third babysitting night in two weeks. After which it will no doubt be months before we manage it again.)

It seems like we just got to Lansing, and now it's the last day and we'll all be leaving. But it's been a wonderful time. The con is definitely smaller than it has been, but that has the side benefit that you can spend more quality time with the people that are here, which is fab. There have been lots of fab discussions of Pros and fic and writing. m. butterfly has been attempting to pimp people into Spartacus. I may have mentioned Take That once or twice.

We're about to meet

st_crispins for breakfast, so I'll post more details about panels and other fun once I'm home tonight.

I arrived yesterday in Lansing, Michigan for the annual fannish party that is MediaWest. I've been coming to the con since 1994, with only two missed years, once when Ros was a baby, and once last year due to our Disney family vacation.

This year the con has moved hotels, so it's disorienting not to be in a place where I knew the building and surrounding area so well. And so many people who were mainstays for so many years no longer come. (Ex-roomies

jawanderer and

nsandik, you are missed!) But it's still wonderful seeing the people who do still come, and having the opportunity to talk fanfic and slash with people who completely understand your obsessions.

So far, I have:

Picked up

st_crispins at the Detroit airport Thursday, and had dinner with her and roomie m. butterfly

Gone to see Iron Man 3 with m. butterfly

Modded a Pros panel, Cowley: Mentor or Menace, that brought out lots of interesting discussion

Attended a panel on how Bodie & Doyle got together

Bought a lovely small drawing of Ned Stark from Game of Thrones in the art show, by the always fab Kate Nurenburg

Checked out the art show

Had dinner with both m. butterfly and FJBryan at our favourite Mexican restaurant, followed by viewing number two of Star Trek Into Darkness (Enjoyed STID much more the second time, since I'd hashed out my issues with it with m. butterfly and

st_crispins and managed to mostly just sit back and enjoy it this time)

Talked with many fannish friends

Tomorrow there are more panels, and the Pros party, which FJBryan and I are hosting.

It's been two days now since we flew back from Chicago, so I figured I should put up some sort of post. The trip was, I have to say, absolutely amazing. There was fun family stuff like taking Ros to the Children's Museum and a Chinese Circus, and great panels, like the brilliant Kaffeklatsch I managed to get into with Ken Liu ahead of his winning the Hugo for Best Short Story. And it was also nice to catch up with my cousins, and some LJ friends. (Hi

pxr5 and

sooguy.)

Going to the con and attending panels has even re-invigorated my desire to write a bit of pro fic, as did Ros when I was explaining the Hugos to her:

Me: I'm going to the Hugos tonight.
Ros: What's that?
Me: It's a ceremony where they give awards to people for writing the best stories.
Ros: Are you getting one?

That just made me well up a bit.

Okay, before I crash, have a few pictures...

First, Ros in front of the Bean. (Okay, the sculpture is actually called the Cloud Gate, but no one calls it that.)

( This way to more pics )

I spent this past weekend in Lansing, Michigan at MediaWest, the one fan convention I try to get to every year. (I've only missed one year since 1996, and that was the year we brought Rosalind home.)

The con has changed a lot since I started going. It's a lot smaller for a start. The UNCLE contingent, except for

st_crispins, has mostly stopped coming. But in spite of that, I still have a great time.

( This way to the full con report... )

Well, after a lovely weekend at MediaWest, I am, in the words of Blake's 7, down and safe.

If I don't do a post-con report now, the chances of my ever having the time or energy to do one will rapidly diminish, so here are some of the highlights...

( MediaWest 2008 )

Just got an email from the Escapade organizers and both my panel suggestions made the final cut. Yay!

So, those of you going, I'll be a panelist on:

Cops, Spies and Secret Agents

and

Pros: 30 Years and Still Going Strong

I knew the Cops one was doing well in the voting, but the poor Pros panel wasn't so much, so it's a nice surprise that they both made it through.